Little Moments
by MoonlightGardenias
Summary: A place for the collection of drabbles and short shots. Mostly Deacon and Rayna centric, but other characters may appear.
1. Home To Me

**Author's Note: **I'll keep this brief, but essentially I wanted a place to put some of my shorter Nashville snippets. Some (like this one) will be drabbles, but others will be somewhat longer. For full-fledged oneshots (and multichapter stories) will be posted outside of this. I just wanted a place to collect some of the smaller, (sometimes) quieter moments we don't or won't see on the show.

I posted this first one in response to a tumblr fic ask a while back, but figured I would share it here, too. It's set in the past, as will probably be obvious. Also, as a disclaimer...I don't own the characters. But that should go without saying.

* * *

He sings to her, when they're sitting on the back porch trying their best to ignore the summer heat, and he thinks she's never been more beautiful than she is now with her hair tossed up into a bun while slowly strumming along on his guitar.

The dryer is on the fritz and the bills are past due and the car started making funny sounds earlier, but he doesn't want to think about any of that so he nudges her with his knee and tells her to play another one.

"Darlin', I could get used to this," he says after they've finished playing, and when he wraps his arm around her and she kisses him, he knows she feels the same.


	2. Crash

**Author's Note: **I guess you could call this the drabble that got a little carried away. I actually sat down tonight to work on a fluffy piece, but this is what happened instead. I had my issues with the ending of the finale, but this is my way to deal with that. I'll work on getting something else up later on this week. Any and all reviews are very much appreciated. Thanks for reading!**  
**

* * *

In a daze, Deacon wakes up in the passenger seat. It takes him a few minutes to gain his bearings and to realize he's upside down. He blinks, pressing a hand to his temple. When he pulls it away his fingers are slick with blood. He closes his eyes, trying to remember just how and when he got here.

_Tires screeching. Glass shattering. Metal scraping metal. A high, piercing scream._

It's now that he remembers. Wincing, he turns his head in her direction, and it takes everything within him not to let out a scream at what he sees. "Ray," Deacon cries, shifting as best he can in his upside down condition. "Rayna, come on. Wake up."

Rayna lays still in the driver's seat, her head lolled to one side and arms, covered with scrapes and embedded with glass, strewn about at her sides. He brushes hair back from her shoulder, shaking her as softly as he can, but she doesn't react.

"Rayna,_ please_," Deacon sobs. He knows they were fighting when it happened, but it doesn't matter now. He'd take her yelling at him if it meant she'd wake up. When she doesn't respond he tries the door, thinking if he can at least get out maybe there's some other way he can get her to safety, but it doesn't budge.

Seconds go by. Minutes that feel like hours. He knows it can't be that long, but every moment that slides by with Rayna not awake is one too long. Deacon shifts, biting his tongue to stop himself from crying out in pain, and palms the seat around him in search of his cell phone to call for help. His hands come up empty. He can feel consciousness slipping from his grip, but he fights the urge to lean back and just let go. Just then he hears sound coming from the driver's side, low but still enough to give him hope.

"Deacon?" Rayna murmurs, her voice coming out slow and cracked. "Deacon, what…how did we—"

He knows that every move made could jostle the vehicle, could further injure either of them, but he still finds himself reaching out for her hand, desperate to provide some semblance of comfort. "It'll be okay," he says. Maybe it's wrong, giving her false hope, but it doesn't stop him. "I'll find a way."

Tears spill from her eyes, spilling upward towards her hair. She wants to say so many things, needs him to know so much, but she can't find the right words to say them all, so instead all that comes out is a meager apology. "I'm sorry. About Maddie, about…what I said. About…"

"No. No, no, no…" Deacon insists, shaking his head despite the fact it makes him feel like the whole world is spinning and he is its axis. "You and me, we're not apologizin' right now, okay? You can say sorry and you can hate me later, right now we need to find a way out."

Rayna sobs quietly, her eyelids feeling heavy. At his encouragement, she tries to kick her legs out, only to be met with resistance. "I can't—" she stops, trying to process what's happening while clinging to his hand like a lifeline. "They won't…_I'm stuck_."

It's the only motivation he needs. Deacon pries off his seat belt and sits up as much as he can without jostling everything around him. His side pulses and he's almost certain something is broken, but he's determined to find a way out, even if that means crawling through the remnants of the windshield, glass shards gleaming like small daggers around the edges. He's trying to figure out how best to move forward, when he hears it, faint at first and then growing louder. "Sirens. Someone must've…the other driver…Ray, help's coming, okay?"

Her eyes flutter open long enough to see blue and red flashing against the interior of the car before closing again. The last thing she hears before blacking out is the sound of Deacon yelling, telling her to fight, to hold on.

In the agonizing moments before an officer shows up at his side, the scent of alcohol invades his senses, and he curses himself for it. There will be questions and tests and an investigation, and all because of him. All because, just for a moment, he let go of the control he'd worked for years to build. He's conscious of the fact Rayna's gone still and quiet beside him, and he doesn't want to admit how much it terrifies him. If anything happens to him, he doesn't care, as long as she gets out of this. As angry as he still may be, it's all that matters.


	3. Stage Fright

**Author's Note: **This one came together much more quickly, so that probably means it's terrible, but it refused to leave me alone so I decided to jot it down anyway. This is set sometime in the early 90s, right as Rayna would have been hitting it big, because it's fun thinking that even the greatest ones get the jitters. Thanks for reading!

* * *

The arena is so loud she can barely hear herself think. Lingering just offstage, Rayna paces back and forth, arms wrapped tight around herself. Bucky had told her the audience would be bigger than she'd ever performed in front of before, but nothing had prepared her for this.

"Hey, I was wonderin' where you were. Are you—" Deacon stops, knowing the panicked look on her face anywhere. He darts his eyes around, checking for onlookers, before pulling her towards an empty corridor. "Breathe, okay? You got nothing to be scared of."

"Are you kidding? You saw how many people are out there. It is a sold out show. What if I forget the words? What if I trip? People have cameras, Deacon. What if I—" Rayna pauses, pulling her bottom lip between her teeth. She fidgets in place as tears cloud her vision. "I'm just worried I'll mess up."

Deacon fights the urge to laugh. In the years they've played music together, he's seen Rayna experience all sorts of emotions—scared, happy, sad, angry—and pretty much everything in between. It isn't often he sees the nervous side of her, but he's grateful that she lets him in to see it this time. "No, you won't. And if you start feeling like you might, you just keep singin'. Just look over at me, and I'll help you through it."

She smiles as she feels him take hold of her hand. "You're pretty wonderful sometimes, Deacon Claybourne. Have I told you that lately?"

Deacon shrugs, waiting for a few stagehands to walk by before pulling her close. "You might've, but I wouldn't mind hearing it again."

Rayna loops her arms around his neck and grins. "I guess it's worth repeating sometimes."

He kisses her, lingering for longer than he probably should while there are still people milling about. It's not exactly a secret to any of them that they're a couple, but there's still a bit of caution about it all. Pulling back, he places a final kiss against her lips before gesturing towards the direction they came from. "You'll do great out there, you hear?"

"I do. It sounds like I should probably get ready," she says, looping her arm around his waist as they start walking back towards the side of the stage.

The sounds of the opening act wrapping up their set are heard. In a few minutes the band will walk out on stage, and then she'll go out, and she'll plaster on a smile even if her insides feel like butterflies trapped within a cage. In the end, it'll be a show talked about for years among the musicians and crew on the tour, one of the best yet they'll all say.

Years from now she'll find herself at the side of another stage, looking back on this moment with Deacon's hand pressed firmly against the small of her back as they watch the opening act waving goodbye to the crowd, and she'll be thankful for the amount of comfort he's able to provide with just a simple touch. She doesn't yet know the number of ledges they'll talk each other off, but through it all she'll always find herself thinking fondly back on this one.

"You ready, Ms. Jaymes?"

The sound of a stagehand approaching breaks her from her reverie. She takes the microphone he offers with a nod. "Yes," she says, catching Deacon's eye. "I'm ready."


	4. Almost Doesn't Count

**Author's Note:** This is another case of me trying to make something shorter and it just not working. It's set at least a few years ago, when the girls were younger. I know on the show Rayna mentioned the deal she and Teddy made in regards to never telling Deacon Maddie was his, but I can't help thinking there were times she thought about telling him anyway, so this is my rendition of what one of those times might have been.

Also, there is still plenty of time to participate in the fanfic challenge for this month. If you haven't signed up already but would like to, please feel free to PM KarenES, Shiny Jewel, or myself (MoonlightGardenias), and we'd be glad to let you in on all the details.

So, I guess that's it. Thanks for reading!

* * *

She'd only been gone for five minutes, a quick phone call on the way to the coffee cart, but when Rayna cracks open the door to her dressing room and sees Deacon and Maddie sitting close together on the sofa, her breath hitches in her chest and she feels time stand still.

He gladly accepted when she asked him to keep an eye on the girls for a moment, so she probably should have seen this coming. She watches as a pig-tailed Maddie stares down at Deacon's guitar, it's size practically the same as her, and listens intently as he speaks.

"You just wanna put your hand right…there," Deacon says, showing Maddie where to place her fingers correctly on the strings. "There, that's good. Now try it."

Rayna watches as Maddie does what he says, and within seconds a slow and sweet melody fills the air. Across the room, she sees Daphne look up from her position in her playpen, giggling with glee.

"I did it!" Maddie exclaims, kicking her feet out in excitement. "Was that good?"

Deacon grins, nodding enthusiastically. Rayna knows he's not even pretending, and it's that fact that somehow makes witnessing them playing music hurt that much more. "Sure was. C'mon, keep going. I'll help you if you get lost."

The joy that fills his face upon seeing her play, stumbling only a few times, makes something deep within her clench, and she has to blink to keep the tears at bay. It's Maddie that sees her first, halting her playing as she calls out her name.

"Did you hear? Uncle Deacon's teaching me a new song. It's so cool!"

No longer able to observe quietly, Rayna walks into the room, handing Deacon his coffee when he stands to greet her. "You were wonderful, sweetheart. Why don't you say thank you? Aunt Tandy should be here soon to pick you and Daphne up, okay?"

"Anytime, hon. I'm glad to help," Deacon says when Maddie wraps her arms around him as much as she can. His eyes meet Rayna's and he hesitates for a moment before speaking. "She was great. I mean it, Ray, if she wants to play I'd be more than happy to—"

"Thank you," Rayna says, wincing at the brief look of alarm that flashes across his face. She hates hurting him, and not just in the sense of interrupting him so she can finish getting ready before the show, but for so many ways she's not even sure where to begin when listing them. And yet she finds the words sitting on her tongue, ready so be spoken. "Deacon, I need to—"

It would be so easy to just say it, to just open her mouth and say the little words that carry so much weight she has no idea what they'd do. But when she spoke with Tandy she said she'd be there in five minutes and the show starts in less than thirty, not to mention how she wants to run a last minute song change by the rest of the band. She feels her old friend guilt pricking at her conscience again. As easy as the words would be to say, she's not yet ready for what would surely come afterward.

He's staring and she realizes it's probably been a few moments since she's spoken, so she takes a healthy sip from her coffee before offering a smile. "I have to get these girls to see their aunt. And thank you," she says. "Really."

"Of course," Deacon says, nodding his head slowly as if he doesn't believe her. "You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Rayna says as she picks Daphne up out of her playpen. She grabs her bag and ushers Maddie to her side, turning only as she reaches the door. Maybe she'll tell him soon, or maybe she won't. Either way she finds herself hoping it won't mean he'll end up leaving her life, or their life really, she thinks, because she knows that even though they're so young the girls have already grown attached. She wonders what he'd think of that, but also realizes there's no more time for meandering through "what ifs". Instead, Rayna offers a nod, raising her coffee in his direction. "I'll see you on stage."


	5. Of Messages and Meanings

**Author's Note: **This one didn't work out like I originally envisioned, but it wouldn't leave me alone so I wanted to post it anyway. I've been playing around with form lately-stories that are entirely dialogue, no dialogue, etc.-and that came into play here. I hope that you enjoy. Thanks for reading!

* * *

Deacon hated birthday parties. Despite being a guitarist, he hated any situation that put him in a spotlight. It was why he was glad Juliette had the sense to make his party a performance event. At least that way he could linger against the wall, watching everyone sing and pretend that he was enjoying himself.

Truth be told, he hadn't expected Rayna to show up, let alone the wave of emotions that engulfed him once she started to speak. He listened as she went on about how without him there'd be no her, only to start singing a song she'd written for him as a gift of sorts. Even when they were together, they'd never been the gift giving type of couple. Sure, they'd exchange presents on birthdays and Christmases, but it was more of a formality than anything else.

A memory assaulted him without warning; a rainy morning when she'd greeted him in bed with a new guitar for his birthday. He'd smashed an older one a little over six months before in an alcohol fueled haze. He listened when she told him that, yes, this was a birthday gift, but it was also a demonstration of trust and a celebration of his newfound sobriety. While said sobriety only managed to last for a few more months before he had another bout with the bottle, they'd spent the rest of that particular morning curled up in bed as he played. When the rain stopped they went out for lunch before coming back and watching _Old Yeller_ on the couch. It might not have been the most perfect way to celebrate, she had said with a laugh, but she was more than willing to share it with him.

He caught Rayna's gaze as she sang, her eyes locking with his, saying more in one look than the lyrics could ever say. He hadn't heard back from her after confronting her via text about the divorce. As much as he knew it probably shouldn't, it hurt to know she hadn't come to him with the truth. Finding out from some tabloid made it hurt so much worse, a fact he knew was probably ridiculous, and yet it helped confirm the fact he'd known something was wrong.

"_Sunrise hurts as much as you…you both come up when I don't want you to…"_

As Rayna sang, he thought about everything that happened in Chicago. The kiss in the elevator, the text that was a clear invitation as far as he was concerned, Teddy showing up at her room. Deacon wondered if Rayna knew he'd had every intention of showing up that night, let alone if it would have made a difference. Having read some of the articles printed and posted online, he was aware of the speculation surrounding their relationship. True, over the years a picture of them standing close together at a party or making eyes across a stage had added fuel to the fire, but they'd never crossed that line the way the tabloids at times speculated. He could only imagine what her showing up to something in support of him would do, and silently prayed it wouldn't cause more grief for her than it already might have.

Rayna's song slowly drew to a close and despite his desire for composure, Deacon felt a little bit of pride swell up in his chest. As a multi-platinum, award winning artist, it wasn't often she played stages as small and arguably low key as the Bluebird. He was glad to see that no matter the size of the audience, they were all rooting for her.

And even if he still felt hurt that she didn't confide in him, so was he.


End file.
